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Scary Christian Stuff

This phrase keeps coming to mind here recently: “Scary Christian stuff”. It really takes on two meanings. First, there are scary christians out there trying to scare people into Heaven through fear of Hell. Yeah, how’s that working for you? It doesn’t mirror Jesus or what he said. The second one is looking to the scary stuff said in the Bible to sensationalize and create fear. Again, that really doesn’t mirror what Jesus said, nor what he majored on. But, for some reason, people seem to focus in on the scary stuff. Why is that?

Jesus quite simply said they (the others in the world) would know we were his disciples because of our love for one another. Scary christians version 1 are showing anything but the love of God through Jesus Christ. I do not get it. I never have. Some have even tried to alienate me because I would not join in the fear-mongering and damnation of sinners.

John 3.16-18 says: “”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

Hmm. It seems to me God is saying He loves the world and would give Jesus as His ransom for the people of this world. I own several translations of the Bible – including multiple versions of Hebrew and Greek texts. In none of my research have I found where God said or indicates that we should try to scare the “Hell” out of anybody. Actually, God says the opposite. He said we are to love them and forgive them even as He has loved and forgave them.

So why would anyone try to scare preach someone into Heaven? Some will not like this answer. It is because they are influenced of the devil to drive people away from the love of God. It is very simple. Read your Bible. Look at the examples of the people who God said He likes. Look at the life of Jesus and what he said. Look at the writings of the apostles of Jesus and what they said are the right ways to act and be. Those are examples of God’s love. Now look at those who use scare tactics and compare them to the other examples in the Bible. In all of the scary, threatening, or forceful examples of fear the devil (aka, Satan) is doing it, influencing it, or is somewhere behind it. Every time. So, just off of the Bible alone, the fear mongering, scary christians have more in common with demonically influenced people than they do with the love of God manifested through Jesus Christ. Just saying.

Folks, if you hear shouts of fear and “you are going to hell without Jesus”, please come find me before you reject Jesus. He is not that way. The God whom I serve and love and who loves me is not this fear generating being about to punish you for being a bad person. All God was ever going to do to you He already did to Jesus. All you have to do is go to Jesus and accept what he did as payment for your free-from-fear relationship with God. Email me. We can talk more about this.

The other scary christian stuff version 2 also does not make a whole lot of sense to me. It is also fear mongering, or going about sowing fear, sensationalism, and dread of terrible things that can happen. It seems to me they have only read the parts of the Bible that help support their need for fear. Again, that is more like the devil than it is like Jesus.

Now did Jesus say some scary things were going to happen? He sure did. He also said, “Fear not, for I have overcome the world.” Jesus did not want them to focus on the scary things. He wanted them to focus on their relationship with God through repentance, getting reborn in the Spirit, getting a new heart created in them, having a relationship with God as Father, and learning how to love one another just as God loved them. Fear as nothing to do with that. Fear has everything to do with the opposite of what God wants for us. Have you ever noticed that before?

Recently there is a lot of movies, books, documentaries, and such sensationalizing “blood moons” and seven-year patterns (called ‘shemitah’). People are looking at the Bible which is good; studying it, but single-mindedly for scary bits. Many are looking to the book of Revelation, which chronicles John’s moment with the Lord where God showed John a lot of things he could not understand; including some stuff John was allowed to record. All of these things are signs. Signs were meant for unbelievers. Not for those saved. Those saved were to do the works that Jesus did and let God work out the rest.

So, as a pastor and a Bible scholar, I was asked about those scary things that are in the Bible. My response is this: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved; you and your whole family. (Acts 16.31)

If we major on your relationship with God and not what else is going on, we will have not concerns for what is about to happen to those who do not believe. Yes. Some Christians will experience some tough stuff, but God will be with them in the midst of it. Yes. Bad things are going to happen, but God said He would never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus said he would be with us even to the end of the age. In another place, He said through His profit that nothing shall separate us from His love; no height, no depth, no war, no famine, nothing.

The scariest christian stuff I can think is for someone to lead someone away from God or to turn them away from God by their supposed “Christian” behaviors.

God is not the author of fear nor lies. God is the author of love and overcoming. Jesus did not die at the hands of the Romans nor the Jews in Jerusalem. Jesus gave his life. He said it is finished and gave up his spirit. He traded his life for the many since then.

Scary, screaming, street corner preachers and scary prophecies do nothing but scatter fear like seeds. They sow disruption like grass seeds waiting for the weeds to grow.

Jesus, his apostles, and his preachers sow love and unity; not separation and discord. I encourage you, take another look at Jesus, God, and the Bible. Find out what God really wanted to say. Find out for yourself and ask God to show you. The book of the prophet Jeremiah quoted God saying that if we call to Him He will come to us and show us great and mighty things we never knew. (Jer. 33.3)

Gospel comes the Greek work “euangelos” or good messenger. It meant “good news”. That is what God wants us to get from the Bible: good news.

So, get some good news and get off of the fear-mongering as some do. Look to Jesus and ask him to show you his love – even if you are not a “Christian”, ask him to do it anyway. He will.

So, what am I saying?

So what I said is: do not major on fear and love as God loves. Yes, some will die in judgment and go to Hell. That does not have to be you. Just simply believe and accept that what Jesus did at the cross was enough for you; for your peace with God. The scary things are going to happen., but trust God. He will deliver you. Amen?

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If you read this and accepted Jesus as your savior and lord, please let me know. You can let us know via our website: bethelgracechurch.com. Go to the Contact tab and send us a message. We will pray for you and God will provide you direction for your life.